The Border Between Torture and Comfort
by xXxSkyBlueSoulxXx
Summary: There's a border between Torture and Comfort. They are both drastically different, but i still 'manage' to find my own way to cross it. Rated M for later chapters. Yuzu POV.


A/N: Just discovered this manga and It. Is. Beautiful. I can't wait for chapter 11 to be released -heavy breathing-! Rated M for later chapters, please review, cause your opinion helps with writing stories xx Also I'm Australian so their might be some grammatical or spelling 'errors' or different spelling to the American words and I'm sorry if that's difficult for you, but I can't really help but write how I was brought up. Example being 'mom' American, 'mum' Australian.

Chapter 1: Normality

Theres a boarder between torture and comfort. Comfort is being with Harumin after school. She was the first person that i just automatically clicked with. We're alike in every way and i have a hell of a lot of fun breaking the rules with her. She makes me feel happy to be who i am, just like my mum. I mean when i first transferred to this school i was pretty much like Alien and every one else was predator. Everyone was conservative while I'm just loud and out there or as my mum says ' you take action and then think about' which i took as a compliment.

Torture is what happens before school finishes, when Harumin can't even be there to comfort me and even my mum who i see every morning can't and won't be able to understand. Mei. I have to eat with her, walk with her, look at her… every day. It's unbearable for me. I mean i should be used to it i guess or i should get used to it… we're step-sisters after all.. but after my first kiss which she stole, after everything that had happened.. i just can't get her out of my mind.. is this normal?

"Oi, Yuzu, EARTH TO YUZU" I'm snapped back to reality to find Harumin across from me in the local diner waving her hands frantically over the place to grab my attention. I quickly grab her hands and placed them on the table " Harumin, it looks as if you're calling an airplane to land on the landing strip".

"Well sorry for trying to grab the attention of someone who slipped into unconsciousness while i was explaining to them a very important story about my saturday night" Harumin finished when her eyes fell onto me again. "Yuzu!" I snapped back into reality again. "Jesus Yuzu" She said as she rubbed her temples.

"You look pretty out of if.. like you're not concerned about the new assignment are you?" Harumin said as she held the door for me as we waked along the sidewalk to the train station.

"We got a new assignment?!" I said in a panic. I mean I'm not the type of person to fuss over school, but exams are coming up and it's just that there's so many things i have on my mind at once. I mean i have to pass exams, i have to make mum happy with my grades, i have to study for exams, i have to do the assignment, i have to impress gramps and more importantly impress Mei…

"I've just been super stressed lately that's all Harumin" I say after she hands me a copy of the handout our teacher gave out for the assignment in class. "Well you know what will relieve some stress Yuzu.." Harumin linked arms and pulled me into the opposite direction of the train station, "Some retail therapy" She said as she dragged me into the mall.

* * *

I opened the door to my home and placed all the bags full of clothes to my sides. In just two hours I had managed to spend all of my months allowance… I think I need a job.

"Where have you been?" I jumped and found Mei staring at me.

"Oh, hi Mei I was just with haru—"

"You know it's against school rules to go anywhere after school" She gave me a death stare and all i could feel was a sweat drop forming on the side of my face.

"Sorry, I won't do it again…" I said looking away. She looked at me and then walked off not saying a word.

Does this mean I'm off the hook? Cause i do not want to have a detention to top off my stress list.

I walk into the kitchen to find mum cleaning up the dishes. "Yuzu where have you been…. oh Harumin?" Mums eyes fall onto the bags that i was dragging across the floor. I nodded and opened up my foiled wrapped dinner. "Sorry Yuzu, me and Mei already ate since we were pretty hungry and knowing you who knows what time you would get back" Mum said as she smiled at me.

I know she was worried about me, I mean even though mum's a pretty chill person, theres time where she hides her worries and just gives me a comforting smile… and i love mum for that, since she has been through so much.

After dinner i had a shower and walked to my bedroom and proceeded to fold and neatly put away the new clothes that I had bought in my draws. Mei was on the floor studying as always. After folding my clothes I then went to lie on our bed and go text Harumin.

_Yuzu: Mei caught me…._

_Harumin: Crap? Are we in trouble? _

_Yuzu: I don't know….. I'm getting mixed messages here. Like all she did was point it out and then walked off in silence. _

_Harumin: She must be on her 'ladies' days_

_(A/N: Reference to moon party)_

"You should be studying for exams" Mei said as she shut my phone top and took it from me.

"Hey, i understand when it's school, but you have no right to take my phone away from me in my own home" I say in defence for myself even though Mei was in the right.

A minute later i was next Mei on the floor. Books open and mind intense at studying.. well i thought it was intense. I mean i was studying for Advanced Math and math is my favourite subject. I was focusing on my work so hard that i didn't notice that Mei was staring at me the whole time.

I saw her from the corner of my eye looking at me intently. I felt heat growing from my neck up to meet my cheeks and i knew very well that i must of looked like a tomato.

My hand stops writing and i feel a warm and gentle touch. Mei had grabbed my hand. I lift my eyes to see Mei's face inches from mine. I panicked and froze on the spot. My whole body feeling warm and i was begining to sweat all over. Then in one fluid motion Mei brushed my hand away and grabbed the paper i was writing on.

"Your answers…." She said.

I then felt a little embarrassed after what i thought she was going to do. I mean was i actually hoping for her to do it… even though we agreed that we wouldn't be doing this stuff anymore…but i secretly wanted her to..

I gained back my confidence as i took a deep breath in and looked at Mei. Mei was still looking at my answers. "What about my answers?" I asked. "They're all wrong, drastically wrong" She said in her usual monotone, expressionless voice.

And confidence gone….

Mei then attempted to help me with the equations and to try and get me to get them correct, but then we agreed that i should just sleep this off and when i mean 'we', i mean me.

* * *

Unfortunately my hopes were turned down when Harumin and I we're held back after school to be scolded by Momokino. We got changed into our sport uniforms and then went on with our cleaning duties.

"It really isn't any fun when you have the Student Council President living under the same roof as you, i mean like you can't get away with anything under her noise" Harumin said as she passed down cleaning supplies to me from the top shelf. "Yeah sorry about this…" I apologised, cause this has happened more than once to us.

"You're cool" Harumin smiled at me. She honestly didn't care whether or not if she had detention. She seems to be living a problem free life, no worries, no stress, god I wished I lived that life.

We walked around to every classroom and mopped the floors and cleaned the windows. We then were interrupted from our duties to have Momokino appoint us to the toilets.

"Heads for toilet stalls, tails for sinks and mirrors, your call?" Harumin said as she pulled out a coin from her pocket and then began to flip it. "Tails" I said, "heads it is" She said with an evil smirk. I then was cleaning the toilets. I mean they weren't that bad…. i guess….but i know definitely that i do not want to have a job in this.

After me and Harumin finished cleaning up, we went to the classroom to change quickly before the school closes. I quickly got dressed and when i was looking for my bag it was missing. "What? Where's my bag?" I said looking all over my desk for it. "Hmmm maybe someone took it home by accident..?" Harumin said, "Well good luck to them, all they'll have is my notes which will probably guarantee them a fail and my homework that needs to be done, hopefully they bring it back completed" I joked. We chuckled.

"A-Hem.." We both look to the doorway and find Mei there staring at us. "Ohh Mei, hey-" I started, "Are you done?" She asked and I nodded. She then looked at Harumin that was awkwardly edging for the door. "Well see you tomorrow Yuzu, See ya, Prez." and with that Harumin was racing down the hall way from the Student Council President.

"I have your bag by the way" She said as she turned and walked off. I think she was motioning me to follow her since I guess she did look for me and she did have my bag, at least it won't be when she found that… that.. 'visual novel'.

I followed her into the library which was empty by now. I swear the library could legitimately pass up for a horror movie scene. "I thought the school was going to close now?" I asked her. "I have the keys" She said as she sat down at a desk. On that desk was my books all open and placed neatly on the table, ready for me to use them. "Whats this?" I asked, even though it was pretty much common sense what they were for. "I'm tutoring you from now on till exams" Mei said as waited for me to sit down.

Once I sat down, Mei went through all the equations that i fell asleep through last night. She explained to me how I 'drastically' got them wrong and man.. there was no self-esteem boost whats so ever throughout the evening, but I liked being with Mei. I mean even though I was getting no where, it felt good that I guess she was a little concerned about my grades.

On the way home i felt that i learnt a lot today. I mean even though it did take some arguing with Mei, I got around. "Thanks for today Mei even though you didn't have to" I said as I walked beside her, "I'm worried about you.." Mei said with a little red appearing on her cheeks. I caught her off guard by bringing her into a big hug. "Awwww are you worried about me?" I said as I nuzzled my face into her shoulder. "It's not like that" Mei said as she gently pushed me back. I'm kind of used to her pushing me away like that, I mean i don't think i have actually had a real hug from her… or ever seen her give a real hug to anyone.

"I just don't want you to cause any more problems for the principal and for me" She said as she then walked ahead of me.

I admit I was a little gutted by that statement. She really doesn't care about other people's feelings, yet alone hers.

My eyes kept on wondering to her direction at dinner. I mean even then she doesn't show any sort of expressions, but she keeps conversation with mum, maybe she's just being polite. She's pretty sheltered, but then again Harumin said that isn't so surprising at this high school. Harumin believes that everyone at the school was like this because of Mei, but then what caused Mei to be like this, I mean I understand about her father but i thought we re-kindled their relationship and gramps is still a strict man, but she did make a promise to me that she was going to do things her own way now… she is such a confusing girl. I mean us women are very complex creatures, but she sure does take it to the next level.

I kept on tossing in the bed. I mean i just don't know how to ask her or tell her. She was reading a book and the room was silent. "Mei?" I asked. She didn't respond but I just took that as a yes. "You know you can tell me anything right, like if anything is troubling you or—" I started. "I'm fine, you don't have to act all sister like" Mei said with her eyes still glued to the book. I didn't respond, instead of arguing i just went to sleep, there…. things won't be as confusing. 


End file.
